Maintainer Responsibilities

[Steve Grubb]

On Tuesday 02 June 2009 07:34:17 pm Kevin Kofler wrote:
> Steve Grubb wrote:
> > I don't want to start a long thread, but just to ask a couple questions
> > for my own clarification. Does a maintainer's responsibilities end with
> > packaging bugs? IOW, if there is a problem in the package that is _broken
> > code_ do they need to do something about it or is it acceptable for them
> > to close the bug and say talk to upstream?
>
> It's the reporter's job to report the bug upstream when asked to do so.

And then should the bug be closed hoping that one day you pull in a package 
that solves the user's problem?


> Fixing bugs often requires two-way communication, so it's important for
> upstream to have a real reporter to talk to, I don't see why it should be
> the maintainer's job to play the relaying monkey. 

Its real simple. In reporting the bug, people are asked how to reproduce the 
bug. If its reproducible by the maintainer, the user is no longer required to 
solve the problem and all you need to do is ask them to do a retest. If the 
bug is not reproducible, then things do get a little trickier. I would still 
take the bug report to upstream and see if it rings any bells, but I would not 
close the bug.

-Steve